Fear's Laughter
by Hipsteraffe
Summary: Scarecrow abducts Batman and Joker for testing his new Fear Toxin. Joker and Batman must work together to get through the toxin's effects and find a cure. They say laughter is a cure for fear. The hard part is getting the Bat to laugh.


_**Fear's Laughter**_

**Prologue: **

He wasn't sure how it happened but it did.

He came to fight the Joker who was, for some reason, working with the Scarecrow. He had heard that the two had been developing a new chemical similar to the Fear Toxin that Crane had already but mixed with a little something the Joker helped concoct. Now everyone knows that the Joker was great with chemicals, but no one could ever be sure when working with him. He was, after all, a wild card. So it came as a surprise that Johnathan had decided to work with the Clown. Obviously there was something big going on that the Bat had yet to learn about.

Now he was stuck tied to a chair beside is arch nemesis and all he could wonder was how he got into this mess. That proved to be difficult with his head feeling like it was hit with a wrecking ball.

Obviously Crane had been planning to betray the Joker before the Joker did the same to him. It was both relieving and frustrating. Best Crane be in charge in comparison to the Clown Prince of Crime, but at the same time the Harlequin wasn't one others should betray. It always ended badly. After this was all over he was going to have to take precautions to be sure the Scarecrow was kept safe and breathing.

Now back to the problem at hand.

Being stuck next to your babbling and enraged nemesis was no field day. Especially when you were strapped to a medical bed similar to those found in Arkham Asylum. In fact, Batman would guess these were from there in the first place.

"When I get done with you Crane, your fear gas will feel like a day at the carnival!" The Joker howled with anger but a sinister smile played on his lips as a dark chuckle escaped him.

"Joker, shut up." Batman shot at the Clown, turning his head to glare at the man who was in a bed similar to his own, "Now."

"You shut up Bats. I'm trying to have a nice threatening conversation with our dear pal Scarecrow but he doesn't seem to be in the mood for talking." Joker squirmed and fought his restraints, something Batman had done previously until he realized it was useless. That and watching the Jester fight something so futile made him feel ridiculous in doing the same.

"Well I wouldn't say that Clown. I am in the mood for threats and conversation, but just not yours." Crane said as he walked through the door. As he came further into the area, the room previous gloom of one biding light surrounded by darkness was replaced by the consistent glow of ceiling lights as the room lit up completely, reviling what sort of area they were in.

It was a large metal, circular room with four steel doors, all identical to the one Crane had just walked into. The ceiling was covered in florescent lights and bars, pipes and wires seemed to protrude from the walls and floor. It was eerie and sterile and smelled of mold and rain water. Batman assumed outside it must be raining not only by the smell but the fact that there were multiple tiny leaks oozing water from the ceiling.

"What do you want Crane?" Batman demanded his voice commanding and lacking any sort of fear or concern.

Now Jonathan turned his attention to the Dark Knight, much to the Jester's dismay, "Hey! I was taking to him first Bats. Wait your turn!

Crane ignored the Joker, only proving to further rile the man up, and shook his masked head, "I want you two out of my way of course."

"Then why not just kill us?" Batman questioned his deductive skills in effect as they spoke. He already began to attempt to figure out what exactly Crane had in store for them. And judging by the metal hospital equipment table off to the right, it was going to be anything but pleasant.

"That's not my style Batman." The smile in Crane's voice was obvious as he spoke, "As I'm sure you know, this pathetic excuse for a children's birthday clown was assisting me with the development of a new sort Fear Toxin…"

Crane went over to the tray on top of the table and picked up a syringe. In it held a vial looking yellow liquid. "As I'm sure you know, Joker has a poor reputation when it comes to…Group projects. So then the most marvelous idea hit me! Get him before he gets me!" Crane returned to the two men, both were silent, one eerily so.

"But now I'm sure you remember the Joker laughing at your agony before you passed out, and that dear Batman, was because I needed him for that too," Crane uncapped the syringe and flicked the end as he observed the content for a moment, "Unfortunately the Joker is the best at…Getting you riled up enough to throw you off your game."

He raised a hand, silencing the Bat before he could defend himself, "Enough to sneak in a blow to the head at least. He's quite resourceful when it comes to getting the upper hand on you."  
>"That's because BFF's are supposed to know everything about each other." The Joker interjected with an insane laugh.<p>

Crane glanced at Joker with, what Batman would guess to be, an annoyed expression before continuing, "So after we got the better of you, I gave him a surprise of my own."

"No better surprise then getting your skull nearly cracked open by a wooden bat." Joker giggled darkly, his eyes never leaving crane, especially as he moved to Batman's side.

"Indeed…" You could hear the eye rolling in Crane's voice at this point. He placed a firm hand on Batman's upper arm before quickly jabbing the needle into the crook of the man's elbow.

Batman grit his teeth and watched as Crane pressed the plunger, draining half the contents into him before extracting the needle and moving to the Joker, "And that leads you to your current predicament. You see I need test subjects for my new Toxin and what better way to test it then on the steel willed Dark Knight and the fearless Clown?"

"That won't work on him." Batman pointed out as already he began to feel the effects of the toxin, the room began to spin and distort. He felt like he was going to pass out again but he forced himself into continued awareness.

"Though your certainty is touching Bats…This stuff was made to even knock me on my goose." Joker laughed and offered the other man a shrug, "I might not be afraid, but I certainly won't be right in the head…" The clown paused then burst into hysterics and added, "More than already I mean."

Batman could only stare in disbelief.

Crane quickly mimicked his actions of the Syringe on the Joker before he backed away.

"You can't do this Scarecrow. Stop while you can." Batman warned, he knew he could do nothing now but he had to find a way to stop this. He would find a way. If even the Joker was affected, this could be anything but good.

"Please…I've already won." Johnathan laughed, shaking his head which only further distorted it.

Batman once more began to struggle as his pulse increased, fighting his bonds with everything he had, "No…No! Crane!"

"Now…If you'll excuse me, I have a city to take over." Crane chuckled completely ignoring both other parties before turning leave just as the world began to distort beyond reason and the world lose all rational sense. Joker's maniac laughter was the only real thing Batman's mind could process, and that was not very comforting.

Then everything went black.

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><p><strong>A new story to take a break from my other story <em>Happy Healing<em>. Hope you guys liked the prologue! Thanks for reading.**


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